Avengers Vs. X-Men #8

The Good

Namor with the power of the Phoenix Force. It's an absurd notion yet the potential of what he could do is something many of us would want to see. He may only have a fifth of the full Phoenix Force power but he's going to show the Avengers (and Wakanda) that it is more than enough. Little by little we're seeing signs that the Phoenix Five may not be in complete control of the power they possess. It makes perfect sense that they could be easily consumed by it since they have not been prepped for it nor do their previously existing powers line up with the requirements the Phoenix hosts have had in the past.

The Avengers have been highly skeptical over five members of the X-Men gaining a portion of the Phoenix Force and it's looking like the X-Men might soon be having internal problems (as we saw last issue with Namor and Emma).

The Avengers are on the run and that's the plot point I'm digging in this second half of this series. It reminds me of Cap's Secret Avengers during Civil War. There's something about seeing the underdogs pull together to take on the big guys. And Namor with his attitude and newfound power is about as bad as it can get. This means we can see the Avengers really try to cut loose. Even though we've been seeing the two teams fight in the beginning of this series, they weren't exactly going all out against each other.

Adam Kubert's pencils are a joy to see. Not only do we get to see his pencils but seeing him draw so many characters makes you want to pause and check it out. This is the kind of art these action scenes need.

The Bad

Unfortunately the art was the best part of this issue. The fight goes towards a massive scale but Namor attacking Wakanda and the Avengers, where do you think the fight will go or how long will it last? There is one development that happens and the Avengers 'secret weapon' but the rest almost feels like build up. We know there has to be another big turning point so it feels like we're sitting around waiting for it to happen. It's a strange feeling since the series comes out twice a month, you'd think it'd have a faster paced feel. Maybe onece a month could have worked.

The Verdict

Who wants to see Namor unleash his Phoenix powers against the Avengers? The fighting is starting to feel more intense as it's past time to take off the kid gloves. We had a turning point when members of the X-Men got a portion of the Phoenix Force. They appeared to be doing good things but Namor's actions could be seen as yet another turning point. We know all this is going to explode but unfortunately that gives the story a feeling of sitting around waiting for it to happen. Adam Kubert's art is great. He has plenty of characters and action to draw. But the art can't carry the entire issue. We know something is coming. There are some developments here. We'll have to wait to see what happens next.It's time for the Avengers to start fighting back. I have a feeling that final fight is going to be something.